Tag Archives: emily dickinson

Ian continues to astonish us with his incredible knowledge. Here are his thoughts on Emily Dickinson and poetry!

*I read the poem to Ian in it’s entirety ONCE, and then asked him questions. Ian, we are going to read a poem by Emily Dickinson. Before I read it to you, do you know anything about Emily Dickinson? SHE WAS A RECLUSE

I started out with some biographical information about Dickinson. I talked about the fact the she corresponded with friends and asked what correspondence means…..WRITING LETTERS…..I asked him if he was interested in correspondence…YES…..who would you like to correspond with?…..OTHER KIDS WHO USE RPM

A Bird came down the Walk

by Emily Dickinson

A Bird came down the Walk/He did not know I saw/He bit an Angleworm in halves/And ate the fellow, raw,

And then he drank a Dew/From a convenient Grass/And then hopped sidewise to the Wall/To let a Beetle pass—

He glanced with rapid eyes/That hurried all around/They looked like frightened Beads, I thought/He stirred his Velvet Head

Like one in danger, Cautious,/I offered him a Crumb/And he unrolled his feathers/And rowed him softer home/Than Oars divide the Ocean,

Too silver for a seam/Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon/Leap, splashless as they swim.

What is your impression of this poem? I LIKE IT A LOT….why?….IT MADE ME THINK OF NATURE AND HOW FRAGILE IT IS

A point of view is the way an author lets a reader “see” or “hear” what is happening. What point of view does Dickinson give the reader? OBSERVER

If you were with Emily Dickinson when she was observing this bird, what would you want to tell her. I WOULD TELL HER NOT TO BE SAD THAT THE BIRD FLEW AWAY

What message does this poem tell us about nature? THAT MAN CAN NOT CONTROL NATURE

What emotion would you assign to this poem? I WOULD BUST OUT IN TEARS IF THIS HAPPENED TO ME….why?…BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE ME SAD

Ian, poets are very precise in their use of language. Let’s work on precision. Give me one word to describe

Give me one word to describe Emily Dickinson….LONELY

Give me one word to describe Dad…STRONG

Give me one word to describe Karl(brother)…FUNNY

Give me one word to describe Mom…UNWAVERING

Give me one word to describe Deborah…TALKATIVE

Give me one word to describe Yourself…CONTEMPLATIVE

Give me one word to describe the process of learning RPM….TRANSFORMATIVE

Ian, I do believe that you are quite contemplative and a keen observer. Tell me what you have observed and how it might inspire your poetry.

I AM FASCINATED BY NATURE AND HOW THE WORLD WORKS. I LIKE TO KNOW EVERYTHING.